Adjustable hosiery form



Jan. 8, 1963 BRYANT, JR 3,072,305

ADJUSTABLE HOSIERY FORM Filed July 1, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: /C LENN B. BRYANTJR ATTORNEYS 1963 e. B. BRYANT, JR 3,07 05 ADJUSTABLE HOSIERY FORM Filed July 1, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Ofiice 3,072,305 Patented Jan. 8, 1963 3,072,305 ADJUSTABLE HOSIERY FORM Glenn B. Bryant, Jr., Thomasville, N.C., assignor to Hosiery Research Corporation, Durham, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed July 1, 1960. Ser. No. 40,230 3 Claims. (Cl. 223-77) This invention relates to an improved adjustable hosiery form which may be used to inspect, size and/ or set the shape of hosiery placed thereon.

Although many dilferent types of adjustable hosiery forms have been proposed, they have not been commercially acceptable and the majority of hosiery forms presently employed to inspect, size and/ or set hosiery are not adjustable. Of course, when a different size form is used with each diiferent size hose, a large inventory of hosiery forms of various sizes must be maintained. Also, it is a time-consuming operation to change hosiery forms each time different size hosiery is processed. In all known prior adjustable hosiery forms, only the length of the foot has been adjustable and the length of the leg has remained the same and thi is one probable reason that they have not been acceptable. Although the need for a simple and inexpensive fully adjustable hosiery form has long been recognized, this need has not heretofore been fully satisfied.

With the foregoing in mind, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a fully adjustable hosiery form which may be easily adaptable to use with a wide range of hosiery sizes and which may be easily and economically manufactured and inexpensively maintained.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an adjustable hosiery form which is easily adjustable within a wide range of sizes and includes means to vary the lengthwise size of the foot portion as well as the lengthwise size of the leg portion.

It is still another object of the present invention to pro vide an adjustable hosiery form having a simple arrangement for readily adjusting the length of the toe portion and/ or the leg portion and positive locking means adapted to hold the adjustable form in adjusted position once the desired size adjustments have been made.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in Which FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of one form of adjustable hosiery form in which only the foot portion is adjustable lengthwise;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 with the foot portion shown in fully extended position;

'FIGURE 3 is an enlarged isometric view of the lower portion of the adjustable hosiery form and illustrating the parts in exploded position in order to clearly illustrate their positions relative to each other;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of adjustable hosiery form in which the leg portion and the foot portion are both adjustable lengthwise;

FIGURE -5 'is a view similar to FIGURE 4 with the adjustable leg portion shown in fully extended position;

FIGURE 6 is an isometric view of the upper portion of the adjustable hosiery form with the various parts shown in exploded position in order to clearly illustrate their positions relative to each other.

Referring to FIGURES l, 2 and 3, one type of adjustable hosiery form is shown in which only the lengthwise size of the foot portion is adjustable while the length of the leg portion is a fixed sized. The hosiery form comprises a leg portion broadly indicated at 10 and an interconnected foot portion broadly indicated at 12 which is disposed at an angle relative to the leg portion 10.

The leg portion 10 includes leg plates 13 and 15 which are positioned on opposite sides of an elongate body member 14 and secured thereto by any suitable means, such as screws 16. As shown in the drawings, the elongate body member 14 is formed of relatively thin plate material and opposite ends of the elongate body member 14 extend into and define portions of the leg and foot portions 10 and 12. The screws 16 penetrate the plates 13, 14 and are threadably embedded in the plate 15 to thereby hold the plates in fixed relation, relative to each other. It will be noted that the body plate 14 extends upwardly beyond the upper terminal edge of the leg plate members 13 and 15 to provide a stem or extension 17 which may be utilized for convenient handling of the form or for sup porting the form on a hosiery-setting machine or the like in any convenient manner.

The outer edges of the plates 13, 14 and 15 are shaped to substantially conform to the configuration of the leg and heel of a mans sock, however, it is to be understood that these plates could be shaped to conform to the leg and heel of ladies or childrens stockings, if desired. Opposite side edges of the leg plate members 13 and 15 are shaped to conform to the opposite sides edges of the medial portion of the body plate 14 and the lower end of the plate 14 extends into the foot portion and is provided with a foot adjustment and guiding extension 20.

The foot portion 12 includes adjustable hosiery receiving means comprising foot and toe plate members 23 and 25 which are secured to opposite sides of an inner plate 24 and these plate members are movable lengthwise of the extension 20 of the elongate body member 14, in a manner to be presently described. The lower ends of the leg plate members 13 and 15 are provided with suitable slots 21 and 22 respectively which are adapted to slidably receive the upper ends of the foot and toe plates 23 and 25. The plate 24 is secured between the foot plates 23 and 25 by suitable screws 26 which penetrate the plates 23 and 24 and are threadably embedded in the plate 25. The plate 24 is substantially U-shaped and the legs thereof extend upwardly and slidably engage opposite edges of the adjustment and guiding extension 20 at the lower end of the body plate 14.

It will be noted in FIGURE 3 that the upper leg of the plate member 24 is shorter than the lower leg and an auxiliary plate 24a forms an extension to the upper leg of the plate 24. The auxiliary plate 24a is spaced away from the end of the upper leg of the plate 24 to provide a space for operation of a locking pawl 30. The pawl 30 is oscillatably mounted on a pin 33, fixed in the foot plate 25. One end of the locking pawl 30 is provided with a notch engaging locking finger 31 which is resiliently urged into engagement with the upper edge of the adjustment and guiding extension 20 and spaced apart locking notches 32 formed therein. The pawl 30 is urged into engagement with the slots 32 by a compression spring 34, one end of which is suitably supported in the auxiliary plate 24a and the other end which bears against one leg of the locking pawl 30.

The end of the locking pawl 30 opposite the locking finger 31 extends upwardly between the foot plates 23 and 25 and through the opening form between the short upper leg of the plate 24 and the auxiliary plate 24a. The plates 23 and 25 are provided with respective arcuate cut-outs 36 and 37 which are positioned in alinement with the upper end of the locking pawl 30 and provide means for manual oscillation of the pawl 30. Depressing the upper end of the pawl 30 will impart clockwise movement to compress the spring 34 and raise the locking finger 31 out of engagement with the locking notches 32 in the adjustment and guiding extension 20. With the pawl depressed, the size of the foot portion 12 may be varied by movement of the plates 23, 24 and 25 longitudinally along the adjustment and guiding extension 20.

A guide and stop member in the form of a disk 40 is secured between the upper ends of the plates 23 and 25 by any suitable means such as screws 41. The disk 44* is positioned in a guiding slot 42 cut in the lower portion of the body plate 14 and the slot 42 extends at the same angle as the foot portion 12. The disk 40 is adapted to slide freely in the slot 42 and acts as a guide and stop member for adjustment of the foot portion 12.

Referring to FIGURE 1, it will be noted that the foot portion 12 of the hosiery form is shown in position to receive a sock having a small size or short foot and the locking finger 31 of the pawl 30 is positioned in the innermost slot 32 of the adjustment and guiding extension 20. Thus, the pawl 30 holds the foot portion 12 locked in adjusted position and any number of socks of this particular size may be inspected, sized and/or set on the hosiery form.

When it is desired to process socks having a different size foot, the foot size of the hosiery form may be lengthened by first depressing the upper end of the looking pawl 30 so that the locking finger 31 of the locking pawl 30 is raised out of engagement with the locking slot 32 in the upper edge of the adjustment and guiding extension 20. When the locking finger 31 of the locking pawl is raised, the foot plates 23, 24 and 25 are free to slide along the body plate 14.

The foot portion 12 may be adjusted to its maximum length, as shown in FIGURE 2, or to any intermediate position and locked in this adjusted position by releasing the locking pawl 30. As the foot portion 12 is adjusted, the disk 40 sliding in the slot 42 will guide the upper end thereof and the lower end will be guided along the upper and lower edges of the adjustment and guiding extension 20 by the legs of the U-shaped plate 24 and the auxiliary plate 24a.

It is preferred that suitable size indicating indicia be provided to guide the operator in adjusting the length of the hosiery form to the required length for the size of socks to be processed. In the present instance (FIG- URE 2) lines or marks and size indicating numerals are provided adjacent the upper edge of the guiding slot 42. Thus, as the pawl 30 is depressed and the foot portion 12 moved, an operator can immediately determine when the foot length of the hosiery form is adjusted to the desired size.

By forming the hosiery form of sandwiched together plates, in the manner shown, a hosiery form having substantially smooth sides and uniform thickness is provided and the adjustable foot portion is rigidly held in any adjusted position since the plate members 23 and 25 always remain in sliding engagement with opposite sides of the lower portion of the body plate 14. The disk 40 and the legs of the U-shaped plate 24 guide and support the foot portion longitudinally.

It is to be understood that the disk 40 and the U-shaped plate 24 are of a slightly greater thickness than the body plate 14 so that the plate members 23 and 25 will slide easily along the adjustment and guiding extension 20. Although countersunk screws are shown in the drawings for securing the plate members of the leg portion 10 and the foot portion 12 together, it is to be understood that these plate members could be held together by any suitable means such as spot-welding or the like.

Referring to FIGURES 4, and 6, a modified form of adjustable hosiery form is illustrated in which the length of the foot portion 12 is adjustable as well as the length of the leg portion '10. Since the parts of the adjustable foot portion 12' of the hosiery form shown in FIGURES 4-6 are identical to corresponding parts of the foot portion'12 of the form of hosiery form shown in FIGURES 1-3, the parts of the foot portion 12 will bear the same reference characters as corresponding parts of the foot portion 12 with the prime notation added.

It will be noted in FIGURE 6 that the leg plates 13' and 15' extend only a short distance up the leg of the form and their upper edges terminate in an arcuate line at the ankle portion of the form. The upper portion of the elongate body member or plate 14 extends into the leg and is provided with a leg adjustment and guiding extension 50 which is reduced in width and extends upwardly therefrom. In this form of the invention, the leg portion 10' includes adjustable hosiery receiving means comprising leg plate members 53 and 55 and an inner plate 54 which are movable relative to the body member 14, in a manner to be presently described.

The lower edges of the leg plates 53 and 55 are curved to mate with the curved upper edges of the plates 13 and 15' when the leg portion 10 of the form is positioned to receive socks having short legs, as shown in FIGURE 4. The plate 54 is secured between the plates 5'3 and 55 and is substantially U-shaped with the legs extending downwardly therefrom (FIGURE 6). One leg of the plate 54 is shorter than the other leg and an auxiliary plate 54a forms an extension to the short leg. The plate 54 and auxiliary plate 54a surround the upper peripheral edges of the body plate 14 and the adjustment and guiding extension 50 to guide longitudinal movement of the adjustable leg portion.

The upper end of the U-shaped plate 54 has an upwardly extending stem or extension 57 which may be utilized to handle the form manually when placing a stocking thereon or to support the form in a hosiery processing machine, if desired.

It will be noted that the upper end of the auxiliary plate 54a is spaced below the lower edge of the short leg of the U-shaped plate 54 to provide a space for operation of a locking pawl 60. The locking pawl 60 is oscillatably mounted on a pin 63, fixed in the plate 55. The lower end of the locking pawl 60 is provided with a notch engaging locking finger 61 which is normally urged into resilient engagement with notches 62 formed along the front edge of the adjustment and guiding extension 50. The locking finger 61 of the pawl 60 is urged into engagement with the notches 62 in the adjustment and guiding extension 50 by a compression spring 64, one end of which is suitably supported in the auxiliary plate 54a and the other end of which bears against one leg of the looking pawl 60.

The upper end of the locking pawl 60 extends through the space between the short leg of the plate 54 and the auxiliary plate 54a and is positioned in alinement with arcuate cut-outs 66 and 67 formed in the forward edges of the respective plate members 53 and 55. The plate members 53, 54, 54a and 55 are held together by screws 68 which penetrate the plate members 53, 54 and 54a and are threadably embedded in the plate member 55. It is preferred that the screws 68 be of the countersunk type so that both sides of the hosiery form will be smooth.

The lower ends of the plate members 53 and 55 are secured together in spaced apart relationship by a guide and stop member in the form of a disk 70 which is positioned in a guiding slot 72 cut in the body plate 14. The plates 53 and 55 are secured to the disk 70 by screws 73 (FIGURES 4 and 5) which are also preferably countersunk in the plate member 53. It is preferred that the plates 54 and 54a and disk 70 be of slightly greater thickness than the body plate 14' so that the plate members 53 and 55 will slide easily along the adjustment and guiding extension 50.

In operation, when it is desired to change the length of the leg portion 10 of the hosiery form shown in FIG- URES 4-6, it is merely necessary that an operator depress the free end of the locking pawl 60 which is positioned in the arcuate cut-outs 66 and 67. Depressing the free end of the locking pawl 60 will move the locking finger 61 thereof out of engagement with the notches 62 in the adjustment and guiding extension 50. When the locking finger 61 has been moved out of engagement with the notches 62, the plates forming the leg portion may be moved longitudinally to lengthen or shorten the leg of the hosiery form. It is preferred that some type of size identifying indica be provided on the leg portion to act as a guide for an operator to determine when the de sired adjustment is reached. Then the leg portion 110' can be locked in adjusted position by releasing the free end of the locking pawl so so that the locking finger 61 will enter the corresponding notch 62. The size indicating indicia is shown as being a plurality of spaced marks and numerals provided along one edge of the slot 72 (FIGURES 4 and 5), however, it is to be understood that the size indicating indicia could be positioned at any other convenient location on the form.

The first type of hosiery form disclosed in this application (FIGURES l, 2 and 3) has an adjustable foot portion which is adjustable so that the hosiery form may be used to process a Wide range of socks having diiterent toot sizes. he second type of hosiery form disclosed (FiGURES 4, 5 and 6) has an adjustable foot portion as well as an adjustable leg portion, both of which are adjustable to vary the lengths thereof.

As heertofore expglained, the hosiery form may be used to inspect and size socks as they are produced by the knitting machine and in this use, the extensions 17 and 57, respectively, may be used to manuaily support the form while placing a hose thereon. Also, both types of hosiery form disclosed in the present application may be used to set the shape in hoisery by the use of dry heat or steam. There are several types of hoisery setting apparatuses available and the present adjustable hosiery form may be used in any of these types of processing apparatuses which presently utilize fixed or non-adjustable hosiery forms.

Although the outside plates of the present hosiery form are shown as flat plates of uniform thickness throughout, the outer surfaces of these outside plates could be curved to provide a hosiery form which would be oval in cross-section. The leg portion of the hosiery form shown is shaped to conform to the shape of the leg of a mans sock, however, the leg portion could be shaped to the shape of a womans leg, if desired.

In the drawings and specification there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A hosiery form comprising an elongate body memher having portions thereof defining foot and leg portions of the hosiery form, an adjustable hosiery receiving means mounted for lengthwise movement on one end of said elongate body member and normally extending therebeyond and comprising a pair of elongate plates positioned on opposite sides of said elongate body member and sandwiching the body member in the desired adjusted position, said elongate body member having an elongate slot therein remote from said end thereof, and means carried by said pair of plates and extending in said slot and serving for guiding said plates from one position to another.

2. A hosiery form comprising an elongate substantially fiat plate-like body member having portions thereof defining foot and leg portions of the hosiery form, adjustable hosiery receiving means mounted for lengthwise movement on one end of said elongate body member and comprising a pair of elongate spaced apart interconnected plates straddling said end of said elongate body member and positioned in sliding engagement with opposite sides thereof, means carried by said pair of plates for adjustably engaging a peripheral edge of said elongate body member, said elongate body member having means provided on said peripheral edge thereof for securing said pair of plates in the desired lengthwise adjusted position, said elongate body member having an elongate slot remote from said end theerof, and means carried by said pair of plates and mounted for sliding movement in said slot for aiding in guiding said pair of plates from one position to another.

3.111 a structure according to claim 2 wherein said means for adjustably engaging said body member comprises a substantialiy U-shaped plate positioned between said pair of elongate plates and defining spaced apart legs, the legs of said U-shaped plate being positioned in sliding engagement with opposite edges of said elongate body, and a manually releasable locking pawl carried in one leg of said U-shaped plate.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,709,712 Pagan Apr. 16, 1929 2,062,777 Blackman Dec. 1, 1936 2,453,183 Bersudsky Nov. 9, 1948 2,519,276 Needles et al. Aug. 15, 1950 2,716,512 Needles Aug. 30, 1955 2,900,117 Veltry Aug. 18, 1959 

1. A HOSIERY FORM COMPRISING AN ELONGATE BODY MEMBER HAVING PORTIONS THEREOF DEFINING FOOT AND LEG PORTIONS OF THE HOSIERY FORM, AN ADJUSTABLE HOSIERY RECEIVING MEANS MOUNTED FOR LENGTHWISE MOVEMENT ON ONE END OF SAID ELONGATE BODY MEMBER AND NORMALLY EXTENDING THEREBEYOND AND COMPRISING A PAIR OF ELONGATE PLATES POSITIONED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID ELONGATE BODY MEMBER AND SANDWICHING THE BODY MEMBER IN THE DESIRED ADJUSTED POSITION, SAID ELONGATE BODY MEMBER HAVING AN ELONGATE SLOT THEREIN REMOTE FROM SAID END THEREOF, AND MEANS CARRIED BY SAID PAIR OF PLATES AND EXTENDING IN SAID SLOT AND SERVING FOR GUIDING SAID PLATES FROM ONE POSITION TO ANOTHER. 